John Tavares lit up the goal lamp in a debut with his new team on Wednesday, sending Toronto Maple Leafs fans into a frenzy. Meanwhile, at least one of his former supporters was in a foul mood.
An Islanders fan showed up to a pre-season game in New York sporting a No. 91 jersey with the name ‘Pajama Boy’ above the letters, according to this photo found on Reddit:
Islanders fans aren’t too happy about the Tavares pajama photo from r/hockey
It was an obvious reference to the now famous photo Tavares tweeted in July when he signed with his hometown Maple Leafs.
John Tavares on Twitter
Not everyday you can live a childhood dream
Tavares was selected first overall by the Islanders in the 2009 NHL Draft and went on to collect 621 points in 669 regular-season games, becoming captain and leading the team to three playoff appearances in nine seasons. When the Mississauga, Ont., native signed with the Leafs on July 1, Islanders fans were distraught, with some even burning his jersey.
The 27-year-old expressed hope recently that the reception he receives from New York fans would be positive when the Leafs eventually visit the Islanders. The teams are set to meet on Feb. 28 at Barclays Center.
“I wish I was able to do a better job and lead the team to more success,” Tavares said earlier this month. “It’s something I’ll always have to look back on and wish I could have done more and did a better job leading the team. But we’ll see what happens. I hope it’s positive because I know the positive impact they all made on me.
“I didn’t think everyone was going to love [the decision to leave],” Tavares added. “At the end of the day I did what I felt was best for myself and what I thought was right for me.”
The star centre scored two goals and added an assist in a 4–1 exhibition triumph over the Ottawa Senators on Wednesday night.
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